be inspired by the passing parade

So. It’s been a while. How are you? Yep, I’m fine thanks. Just you know. Busy. With stuff. Anything exciting? Me? Haha, no. No just busy doing not much at all really. Just stuff like this…

And this…

Now that we’ve gotten that 5 seconds of awkwardness out of the way. You know the one. The bit where you haven’t seen someone for a while so even though you’re besties or have known each other forever you talk about nothing to ease yourself back to familiarity. You know? Oh. Just me then? Thought so 😬

Anyway, it’s been forever and I keep meaning to pop in and say hi but kinder started this year and Christmas was crazy and just life stuff. But I’m here now. Hopefully to stay. And fill your lives with all the randomness I don’t chat about elsewhere. And because I need to just write stuff down. And remember. And besides, I wanted to share yesterday with you.

Yesterday was one of those follow ons from a bad night. The little woke a few times, one of which I didn’t even wake to and felt horrid about it for an age after. Cause I’m one of those feel guilt at everything type peeps. So the second time I sat with her for ages. And then laid down with her because she just. Would not. Go back. To sleep. And of course I woke feeling like I’d slept outside on the deck. And no judging my friends. I like my sleep. So I needed some. Basically from the start the day was all behind feeling and slow and just, not quite right.

After some light complaining or worrying that we’d not get to do anything (not from me) we went out, bought some needed items and decided we’d have a latte. Well, and a babychino of course, because well E doesn’t drink coffee. And for a change to sit down and drink. Like people. But we had the stroller. And I misjudged lunch hour. That thing just keeps on going, especially on Friday doesn’t it?!

There I am. Standing there with lots of noise. Cold outside but not freezing, I just wasn’t dressed for the outside. So I was scanning the cafe, looking for spare seats. It’s a longish cafe and with people thrown in I couldn’t quite see down the back. E was telling me what to do or asking what I was doing, I’m not sure because of the noise and I hate having to stand there looking for a seat in situations like that. I feel odd. For some reason. Like everyone is wondering what you’re doing. Why the heck would they?! Anyway, so hard to see down the back and I almost turned around and went out the front wth my table number thing. Or to the counter to make our drinks takeaway.

Then a guy sitting with a woman and child, I’ll say his family, turned around, moved the chair next to him and said “you can sit here if you like”.
Seems normal. It rarely happens to me now that I have a child with me. And it was so loud in there. And he just said I could sit here next to them, right? Hmm, “I might do that, thanks”, I said.

But he didn’t look at me. And had moved the spare chair a bit closer to him/them, but not in a weird way. And then after I’d perched myself on the chair and moved it away a bit so we wouldn’t disturb them, I started to think. To wonder. Did he actually say we could sit there or did he say we could through there? So he’d moved the chair out of my way? Or for me to sit down? Because I could see a table a little further down as I was going over all this at a furious pace. In my mind. While E is trying to talk to me. About the noise in the cafe.

And we didn’t speak again, the guy or his wife and I. At all. I felt odd. And out of place. And odd. But we had a nice chat and I tried to make eye contact several times but there was no return eye contact. And I’m kind of shaking my head and laughing writing this. What the hell did that guy even say?!!

Needless to say, we finished a bit more quickly than usual.

I usually can’t drink hot drinks in a hurry. But I did. And E? That babychino is all froth. And we got up, E hopped into the stroller and I said thanks to them as we moved out to leave. They didn’t look at me 😳

Did I just do an uber embarrassing thing and sit with people in a crowded cafe drinking latte with my child uninvited? Why did I not ask him to repeat what he’d said when I clearly didn’t hear him?! What would you would have done. Has anything like this ever happened to you? And so if you were that family and I crashed your celebration lunch (oh, did I forget to mention I noticed as we left they had a ‘bottle’ from a local real estate agent on the table 🙈) I’m so sorry.

Please feel free to share your coffee shop story here, Facebook or on Instagram. I love hearing other people’s stories. Any stories!

Nice to catch up, hope to see you again soon. I’m off to do a little bit of this for the afternoon. Well, try and sort it out anyway. Perfectly cold and wet day for it xx

Ps. I really don’t mind sharing seats with strangers if that’s what the moment requires and you or they have issued an invitation… I’ve done it before. I just don’t know whether any invitation came at me yesterday and well, I do wonder if i was interloping on their day 😂

Haha I’m glad you enjoyed the read! I’m so weird with people. I love them, but do like a bit of people watching and enjoy the idea of sitting with people but how uncomfortable can it be?!! And when you have a child with you, you need to at least appear to be an adult. Thanks for being so encouraging!